The HR-CEO Paradox: Right Skills, Wrong Pathways

Despite possessing skills increasingly valued in modern leadership, such as emotional intelligence, change leadership, and organisational capability, HR leaders rarely progress to CEO roles. Livingston James Director, Ali Shaw recently shared insights from our latest research report in association with EY: The Future CEO Report, and how these findings can support succession planning for HR leaders.

Our research showed that only 3% of CEOs come from an HR background, compared with significantly higher representation from operations (35%), sales/commercial (32%), and finance (19%). A recent HR Grapevine article cited our research data, arguing this is likely not due to lack of capability but to structural and perceptual barriers that position HR as a support function rather than a commercial leadership pipeline.

Data shows HR leaders tend to focus development on personal influence, visibility, and transitions, rather than enterprise-wide impact, strategic authority, and measurable business results, which are essential CEO competencies. If organisations want more CEO-ready HR leaders, they must redesign career paths to include genuine commercial responsibility, reframing HR as central to long-term business performance rather than adjacent to it.

Ultimately, it appears that HR leaders are well-equipped to lead modern organisations, but breaking the CEO glass ceiling will require:

• Earlier exposure to commercial and operational accountability
• P&L ownership
• Reframing HR from a support role to a core driver of strategy and performance

These findings from our latest research report give an early indication of how leadership may evolve if organisations enable HR leaders to develop the full range of CEO credentials.  To explore this theme in more depth, read Livingston James Director, Ali Shaw’s latest article, where he examines whether today’s uncertain economic and geopolitical environment could actually accelerate the move towards HR‑rooted CEOs, and what organisations must change to make that transition possible.

For full leadership insights from Livingston James’ latest research report in association with EY, read the 2026 Future CEO Report.

Reference:

Hayes, A. (2026). Why HR leaders almost never make it to CEO. HR Grapevine, 29 April 2026. https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2026-04-29-why-hr-leaders-almost-never-make-it-to-ceo